Interaction of C6Cyclic Hydrocarbons with a Si(100)-2×1 Surface: Adsorption and Hydrogenation Reactions†

Self-organisation of inorganic elements on Si(001) mediated by pre-adsorbed organic molecules

A combined theoretical and experimental study on the adsorption of an isolated benzonitrile molecule on the Si(001) surface, followed by the adsorption of Al (group III), Pb (carbon group) and Ag (transition metal) is presented.

The addition of nitriles to tetramesityldisilene: a comparison of the reactivity between surface and molecular disilenes

The addition of acetonitrile, propionitrile, and phenylacetonitrile to tetramesityldisilene (Mes2 Si=SiMes2 ) was examined. In general, 1,2,3-azadisiletines and the tautomeric enamines were formed, although a ketenimine was formed as the major product in the addition of phenylacetonitrile to the disilene. In the presence of LiCl, the mode of addition changed for both acetonitrile and propionitrile: insertion into the α-CH bond of acetonitrile and/or formation of the formal HCN adduct was observed. Preliminary investigations of the reactivity of the nitrile adducts are also reported. A comparison between the reactivity of nitriles with Mes2 Si=SiMes2 and the Si(100)-2×1 surface was made both in terms of the types of adducts formed and their reactivity. Some insights into the surface chemistry are offered.

Emergence and visualization of an interface state during contact formation with a single molecule

Contact formation dynamics and electronic perturbations arising from the interaction of a metallic probe and a single molecule (1,3 cyclohexadiene) bound on the Si (100) surface are examined using a series of plane wave, density functional theory calculations. The approach of the probe induces a relaxation of the molecule that ultimately leads to the formation of an interface state due to a specific interaction between the probe apex atom and the C=C bond of the molecule. The calculated interface state is located 0.2 eV above the Fermi energy, in agreement with low temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy local density of states data (0.35 eV), and is responsible for the contrast observed in low bias empty-state STM images.

Role of Surface Dimer Dynamics in Creating Ordered Organic−Semiconductor Interfaces

Understanding the chemical reaction mechanisms governing how small organic molecules attach to semiconductor surfaces can lead to new strategies for creating specific surface patterns such as single adduct monolayers. In this study, room-temperature ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of one and two 1,3-cyclohexadiene (CHD) molecule(s) reacting with the Si(100)-2x1 surface reveal that adducts form via a carbocation-mediated two-step mechanism. Dimer flipping can either promote or prevent bond formation depending on how the CHD approaches. CHDs often travel past several Si dimers before finding the proper local environment. The resulting intermediate can persist for more than 4 ps, allowing the second bond to form with any adjacent Si dimer. The additional reactive site accounts for a large portion of the discrepancy between the predicted thermodynamic and observed experimental product distribution. Surface adducts protect a 5.6 A region, direct unbound CHD exploration, and can cause adjacent dimers to flip.

Screening and surface states in molecular monolayers adsorbed on silicon

We performed density functional theory calculations of the atomic and electronic structure of a dense monolayer of phenyl-terminated alkyl chains chemisorbed onto the (100) Si surface. Different adsorption sites were characterized for both the pristine and (2 x 1) reconstructed surface. A strong effect on the ordering and alignment of the molecular energy levels with respect to the Fermi level of silicon is observed, consequent to intermolecular screening in the monolayer and of the appearance of surface localized states, as a function of the different bonding arrangements. Some possible consequences of these findings are discussed in the framework of the experimental synthesis of such monolayers as molecular current rectifiers in silicon-integrated nanoscale electronics.

A [4+2]-like cycloaddition of methyl methacrylate on Si(100)-2 x 1

The attachment of methyl methacrylate (MMA) on Si(100)-2x1 was investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The HREELS spectra of chemisorbed MMA show the disappearance of characteristic vibrations of C=O (1725 cm(-1)) and C(sp(2))-H (3110, 1400, and 962 cm(-1)) coupled with the blue shift of the C=C stretching mode by 34 cm(-1) compared to those of physisorbed molecules. These results clearly demonstrate that both C=C and C=O in MMA directly participate in the interaction with the surface to form a SiCH(2)C(CH(3))=C(OCH(3))OSi species via a [4+2]-like cycloaddition. This binding configuration was further supported by XPS, UPS, and DFT studies.

Competition and selectivity in the reaction of nitriles on ge(100)-2x1

We have experimentally investigated bonding of the nitrile functional group (R-Ctbd1;N:) on the Ge(100)-2x1 surface with multiple internal reflection infrared spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations are used to help explain trends in the data. Several probe molecules, including acetonitrile, 2-propenenitrile, 3-butenenitrile, and 4-pentenenitrile, were studied to elucidate the factors controlling selectivity and competition on this surface. It is found that acetonitrile does not react on the Ge(100)-2x1 surface at room temperature, a result that can be understood with thermodynamic and kinetic arguments. A [4+2] cycloaddition product through the conjugated pi system and a [2+2] C=C cycloaddition product through the alkene are found to be the dominant surface adducts for the multifunctional molecule 2-propenenitrile. These two surface products are evidenced, respectively, by an extremely intense nu(C=C=N), or ketenimine stretch, at 1954 cm(-)(1) and the nu(Ctbd1;N) stretch near 2210 cm(-)(1). While the non-conjugated molecules 3-butenenitrile and 4-pentenenitrile are not expected to form a [4+2] cycloaddition product, both show vibrational modes near 1954 cm(-)(1). Additional investigation suggests that 3-butenenitrile can isomerize to 2-butenenitrile, a conjugated nitrile, before introduction into the vacuum chamber, explaining the presence of the vibrational modes near 1954 cm(-)(1). Pathways directly involving only the nitrile functional group are thermodynamically unfavorable at room temperature on Ge(100)-2x1, demonstrating that this functional group may prove useful as a vacuum-compatible protecting group.

Competition and selectivity of organic reactions on semiconductor surfaces: reaction of unsaturated ketones on Si(100)-2 x 1 and Ge(100)-2 x 1

A combined experimental and theoretical study of a model system of multifunctional unsaturated ketones, including ethyl vinyl ketone (EVK), 2-cyclohexen-1-one, and 5-hexen-2-one, on the Si(100)-2 x 1 and Ge(100)-2 x 1 surfaces was performed in order to probe the factors controlling the competition and selectivity of organic reactions on clean semiconductor surfaces. Multiple internal reflection infrared spectroscopy data and density functional theory calculations indicate that EVK and 2-cyclohexen-1-one undergo selective [4 + 2] hetero-Diels-Alder and [4 + 2] trans cycloaddition reactions on the Ge(100)-2 x 1 surface at room temperature. In contrast, on the Si(100)-2 x 1 surface, evidence is seen for significant ene and possibly [2 + 2] C=O cycloaddition side products. The greater selectivity of these compounds on Ge(100) versus Si(100) is explained by differences between the two surfaces in both thermodynamic factors and kinetic factors. With 5-hexen-2-one, for which [4 + 2] cycloaddition is not possible, a small [2 + 2] C=C cycloaddition product is observed on Ge(100) and possibly Si(100), even though the [2 + 2] C=C transition state is calculated to be the highest barrier reaction by several kilocalories per mole. The results suggest that, due to the high reactivity of clean semiconductor surfaces, thermodynamic selectivity and control will play important roles in their selective functionalization, favoring the use of Ge for selective attachment of multifunctional organics.